Black Dutch

[Cari Jane]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to this group but not new to genealogy. When my grandmother was alive, she always told us that we are part Black Dutch. I've heard several theories about where the origin came from and none of them make any sense. Can someone please help me? Her maiden name was Fike which does have variations of the spelling. You can email me privately at:
CariBennett43@myfamily.com

Thanks,
Cari

------------------
Cari Bennett
Searching for: Fike/Feike/or any other spellings.

[Tom]

Hey Cari jane, well thanks for posting your query.The family history of "blackdutch"
really is not very new, many people on this forum have heard of it in their families,mine included.
The origins for the term is rather obscure but is used by families that have an Indian ancestory but have not openly ID'ed them selves as such. I think at one time the term may have been used as a kind of code word to signify where a family was from and thier background.
You may find that your family goes back to the areas that folks talk about on this forum, possibly you may tie into the HArdin clan from the Virginia families.
I knew of some people that had "black Dutch " oral history and actually went to Holland to trace it but were told that there was no such thing!
I would say that because the Dutch owned parts of the Northeast that many families that left there and moved into VA, Nc,SC, etc that they may have had this distinction and then inter-married with the "praying Indians" in thier new found homelands, further spreading the term.
Will you ever track it down to a specific family? if you do Cari Jane I would very much like to hear from you , best wishes and thank you for posting your families oral history, Tom

[Cari Jane]

Thanks Tom for the info. You really helped me a lot. I have been trying to research in Holland and had no luck. I'm not sure if it was just the Fike name or Dabbs or Johnson. I know my grandmother was dark complected and one time she had mentioned that we were native american, but she never knew what tribe. As soon as I find out anything, I'll sure let you know.



------------------
Cari Bennett
Searching for: Fike/Feike/or any other spellings.

[Tom]

Cari jane, that's rather sad that your family would not know what tribal community that they had originated with, but it's not too unusual with folks that share a common heritage.
you should ask around with older relatives and they may remember something, I had contacted my second cousins and together we came up with answers for each other, you should do the same; older cousins are a great help, best of luck carie Jane, Tom.

[redfox]

My grandfather also spoke of the black dutch in his family. He was born in savvanha georgia and placed in an orphange at age 4. His last name is thought to be cobb or simms. Several indians in early 1900 were placed in orphanges. Near this town was a place called collinsville. He married a johnson. Her mother was a collins.

[Linda]

I corresponded at one point with a gentleman whose family currently lives in an Indian community in Michigan, I believe he said it was a reservation, though I don't know what reservations there are in Michigan. He said that his family had been living, I want to say, in WV or KY at the time of the Removal, and to avoid it, they became members of a German church and claimed themselves to be "Black Dutch" to fool the feds. It worked and they later removed themselves to the Indian country of their choice.

[mrspatino]

Hi everyone! How was the camp out?!
Anyway I jumped on because there are a few Rez communities here but I need to remeber them first. I know there is a rez called the Isabela Indian Reservation and there is an Ojibway Rez in the Upper Pennisula of Michigan in a place called Baraga it is almost by Wisconsin, there are more but I am drawing a blank on names this morning and then there are a few bands of Odawa up by Traverse City area.
I will get back latter if I remember.